Arrival in Baku. Private transfer to your hotel will be arranged. Check-in at 14:00.
Overnight at the hotel.
Driving distance: 30 km
Find out why Azerbaijan is labeled as ‘land of fire’ experiencing yourself the heat of the burning mountain, and feel the magical warmth of local hospitality. Our small group Azerbaijan tour is a real journey through time and history of Azerbaijan, filled with magnificent stories, ancient mosques and madrasas, noble palaces and fortresses. Allow yourself to be carried away by this country’s amazing culture, arts and traditions. Add the fact that all of these are in the wonderful settings of grand mountains, river canyons, sea shores and green valleys – and you will have an ideal option for travel to discover yet another part of the World.
Arrival in Baku. Private transfer to your hotel will be arranged. Check-in at 14:00.
Overnight at the hotel.
Driving distance: 30 km
At 09:30, start sightseeing tour in Baku. Visit Martyrs Lane, known as ‘Shehidler Khiyabany’ among locals. When you walk through the Alley of the Martyrs, you will find a beautiful view overlooking Baku’s coastline. Move to Icheri Sheher, the old part of the city. Visit Shirvan Shahs’ Palace, Caravanserai, Maiden Tower, and the main market square, which has numerous art studios and souvenir stalls. Continue touring new Baku by exploring Nizami Street and Fountain Square.
After lunch break, we will drive to Gobustan National Park. Pay a visit to the Petroglyphs Museum and explore rock carvings dating back to 10,000 BC. Weather permitting, drive to mud volcanoes in Gobustan Reserve (change of vehicle). Gobustan is home to almost half of the world’s mud volcanoes. Return to Baku. Enjoy welcome dinner at a national restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.
Duration of sightseeing tour: 10-11 hours
Driving distance: 150 km
Meals: dinner
After breakfast we will drive to Absheron peninsula to visit Ateshgah, a temple for fire worshippers located in the village of Surakhany. Zoroastrians from India use to travel thousands of kilometers to Ateshgah to worship the fire coming out of the earth. We will then visit Heydar Aliev Center located in a quirky building designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid.
Free time in the afternoon. Overnight at the hotel.
Duration of sightseeing tour: 4-5 hours
Driving distance: 50 km
Breakfast. Depart towards Sheki. On the way, stop at Diri Baba Mausoleum in the village of Maraza. Continue to Shamakhi and visit the historical Juma Mosque. Weather permitting, a scenic drive through Girdimanchay River Canyon to visit Lahich will follow. Lahich, an ancient village with charming, cobbled sidewalks, is famous for its medieval water supply and sewage systems, as well as its traditional jewelry, copperware, carpets, pottery, daggers, and iron tools workshops. Continue driving to Sheki, the pleasant and easily walkable medieval town set in a lush mountainous area. Sheki is especially known for local style sweet baklava. Arrival in Sheki at about 19:00 for overnight at the hotel.
Driving distance: 340 km
Meals: lunch
*Lahich will not be reachable during 2024 due to the road construction
At 08:30, we start our day by visiting the colorful Sheki Bazaar. You can find virtually everything you may want to eat: local fruits and berries, spices, freshly baked bread, honey, cheeses, and Sheki sweets. Continue to Sheki Khans Palace surrounded by medieval fortress walls. Visit handicrafts workshop and Caravanserai. You will say goodbye to your guide and group which continues to Georgia here.
In the afternoon, transfer back to Baku (possibly without guide, 300 km, ~5 hours). Arrive in Baku, check-in to hotel for overnight.
Driving distance: 300 km
Check-out from the hotel till noon. Free time till transfer to Baku International Airport. End of the tour.
Driving distance: 30 km
Booking Terms & Conditions
Tours are operated by the Advantour companies in Uzbekistan, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan (whichever you have contacted for travel arrangements), hereafter referred to as ‘the Company’.
Prices
Published prices are based on costs at the time of publication. We reserve the right to change published prices at any time before your booking is made. We reserve the right to increase the cost of your holiday if the Government imposes new taxes or increases existing taxes, the currency fluctuates, or fuel charges increase. We will inform you of any increases.
Payments
A non-refundable deposit of 20%, but not less than US$300, must be made and a confirmation issued by the Company before any binding contract exists. Once we receive your deposit we will invoice you for the remainder of the tour cost. This must be paid not less than 45 days before the start of the tour (or by an alternative date agreed between you and the Company). If you book less than 45 days before departure, you must pay for the tour in full as soon as you book, unless you make alternative arrangements with the Company. If you do not pay your balance by the agreed time, the Company reserves the right to cancel your booking or pursue any unpaid monies.
Cancellation Policy
Payment for the tour is a fundamental part of the tour’s income and contributes to the overall cost of equipment, running costs, staffing, administration, etc. As the Company will have incurred the majority of its costs before the tour starts, we need to impose cancellation charges to cover these costs.
Deposits are non-refundable. If you cancel your booking, we will impose cancellation charges as follows:
30 days or more prior to departure – loss of deposit
15-29 days before departure – 30% of tour cost*
7-14 days before departure – 50% of tour cost*
6 or fewer days before departure – 80% of tour cost*
* or deposit if greater.
Tailor-made tours may be subject to alternative cancellation terms, which will be communicated to applicable Clients at the time of booking.
All cancellations must be in writing and be made by the person who submitted the booking form. Please send an email to your contact at the Company, with a copy to [email protected].
Once the tour has started, no refund for any unused portion or part of the tour or services to be provided will be given. If you want to make any changes to the tour, or depart the tour early, such alteration or departure will be entirely at your own expense and liability. You will also need to communicate in writing to the tour operator your reason for leaving the tour.
Cancellation by the Company
We reserve the right to cancel the contract between us for any reason prior to your payment of the full price of the trip. In this case, we will refund in full any amount that you have already paid us. After you have paid in full, we will only cancel the contract if circumstances beyond our control make it unavoidable. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to, civil or political unrest, terrorism, natural disaster, or other force majeure circumstance. In the unlikely event that such circumstances arise, we will contact you immediately and offer you the choice of equivalent services or a full refund of all monies paid. No additional compensation will be paid over and above the total sum received from you.
Alteration of Itineraries
It is unlikely that the Company will have to make changes to your tour. However, we may occasionally have to make changes either before or after you have booked. Most changes will be minor, and the Company will advise you of them as soon as possible. The Company reserves the right to alter the itinerary after departure, without paying compensation, if it is in your interest to do so. Furthermore, the Company will not pay compensation if it is forced to cancel or in any way change the tour due to force majeure, such as war, riots, civil strike, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, or other material external circumstances beyond the Company’s control.
Travel Insurance
The Company is not responsible for unforeseen circumstances such as flight or train delays or cancellations; the failure of embassies or consulates to issue visas; the inaccessibility of certain tourist attractions due to the actions of government bodies; the actions or services of accommodation and other facilities visited during the tour; or incidents such as injury, illness, or loss of personal belongings.
Therefore, travel insurance is mandatory for all Clients. At the time of booking, each Client must arrange his or her own insurance with a reputable insurer, with protection for the full duration of the tour, to cover personal injury, medical expenses, repatriation expenses, loss of luggage, and the expenses associated with cancellation or curtailment of a tour.
If you become ill, all hospital expenses, doctor fees, and repatriation costs are your responsibility and the Company shall not be liable for any refund of the tour cost. If you do not have travel insurance at the beginning of the tour, please inform us and we will arrange coverage with a local insurance company for an additional fee.
Accommodation is based on double/twin room sharing in 4* hotels, breakfasts included:
Baku - 3 nights - Radisson Hotel Baku, Shah Palace, or Holiday Inn
Sheki - 1 night - Sheki Palace, MinAli Boutique Hotel, Macara Sheki City Hotel, or Ruma Qala
The price of the tour includes all transfers (1-2 pax by sedan, 3-4 pax by Mercedes Vito or similar, 5-9 pax by Mercedes Sprinter passenger van, 10-16 pax by 30-seat bus). Airport transfers are included as well.
International flights are excluded from the price of the trip.
The following extras are included in the price of the tour:
Entrance tickets to all sights as per itinerary;
Azerbaijan e-visa;
Bottled drinking water.
The following services / costs are excluded in the price of the tour:
Full board (lunches and dinners except for the ones mentioned in the itinerary);
Hotel charges for additional services;
Personal travel insurance;
Tips.
Price of the tour includes:
5 breakfasts at hotels;
1 lunch;
1 dinner with a folk show.
The price of the trip includes a sightseeing tour program in each country with local, highly-trained, English-speaking guides. Advantour always strives to support local guides, who have specialized knowledge of the regions we visit.
Azerbaijan